


Meeting Your Soulmates In Real Life

by PunnyPearl



Series: Meeting Your Soulmates On Animal Crossing (and a couple extras) [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: All Monsters on surface, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, First Meetings, Fluff, Grillby's magical drinks, How Do I Tag, Non-consistent update schedule, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Slightly aggressive pining?, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Soulmates can't see eachother clearly, The Boys Are Here!, but nothing actually happens, cuz I can't do violence very well, monsters can get violent if they can't connect with their soulmates, muffet's amazing food
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:40:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunnyPearl/pseuds/PunnyPearl
Summary: A side story based on the Boy's POV's when they first meet you!
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Series: Meeting Your Soulmates On Animal Crossing (and a couple extras) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862002
Comments: 52
Kudos: 196





	1. Is It Clementime To Go Home Yet? (From Stretch's POV)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I can't believe I actually made this! It's kind of thrilling!
> 
> I'll be uploading chapters as the full bonds are made between soulmates, and will generally update this story the day of or after "Meeting Your Soulmates On Animal Crossing" is updated.
> 
> With that being said, please enjoy this chapter! The next one should be out either today or tomorrow

Stretch wakes up that morning, unsurprisingly, next to the machine. It’s large and loud and takes up a whole forth of the room. From what little he can recall about it, it was made to send people to different places; different times.

The sound of clanging pots and pans from upstairs tells him at least half of the household is already up, which means he has to make an appearance, too.

“BROTHER! YOU’RE LATE FOR BREAKFAST.” Blue shouts at him when he lands on his already pulled out chair. Despite his brother’s words, there is a plate of food already placed in front of him. His brother’s and Blackberry’s food is a lot more edible than Papyrus’ and Edge’s, but it’s still hard to swallow.

“sorry bro, guess i lost track of the thyme.” Stretch says, then hunkers down for his meal. It’s a bit better than usual. At least someone was smart enough to get the edible sparkles this time.

After breakfast, Stretch waltzes over to the living room. His favorite recliner is calling his name and he is but a humble servant to it’s song. Not too long after he settles down, Red joins him and the two lounge while watching crappy TV shows.

“PAPPY! IT’S OUR TURN TO GO SHOPPING!” Blue calls from upstairs after a few hours of sitting around and watching old animated shows. Animaniacs has some surprisingly good one-liners.

“thought that was next week.” Stretch mumbles, but his brother hears him anyway.

“WELL, YOU THOUGHT WRONG. NOW HURRY UP AND GET READY! WE HAVE A LOT ON OUR TO-DO LIST.” Blue shouts as he descends the awkwardly placed staircase and into the living room. Seriously, who planned the layout of this lodge? They must’ve been up at three a.m. sketching it out.

The two brothers step out of the Lodge and make the short trek to the Lodge’s parking lot. Most of the cars are already gone, though Red’s moped and Sans’ scooter are still lying around. That leaves Blue’s motorcycle and Stretch’s truck. The brothers hop into their respective vehicles and take off down the dirt road that leads to the Hiking Trails. Blue makes quick work of the many locks used to keep the gates leading to the lodge closed, then remounts his bike and takes off, leaving Stretch to lock everything back up.

Stretch can’t help but breathe in the fresh air as his truck winds down the road towards the city. Even after almost three years of being out of that stars forsaken mountain, every moment on the surface feels like the first. He didn’t care about the reason the barrier suddenly fell. At least, not at first. But after hearing Red and Sans hypothesize about the reasons the barrier suddenly fell, a pit formed in his nonexistent stomach. He couldn’t let them return to the underground. Never again.

That’s why he and the others have been working so hard on that machine. They need answers and only one person can give them. Unfortunately, that person is spread throughout time and space like some sort of strange jam on a slice of universal toast. Not the most pleasant visual, but an accurate one.

The town appears on the horizon and Stretch grimances at the obvious light pollution filling the air. It’s almost like a dome of gas and harmful chemicals and Stretch can’t believe that people can survive in such volatile environments. Humans sure are weird.

The first store the brothers stop at is a regular old monster grocery store. Monster food doesn’t spoil, so it’s easier to get it first. They get the regular food; nice cream, condiments, different pasta noodles and meat, vegetables and fruit. Stretch notices the total is a bit higher than usual when they go to checkout. A glance at the receipt shows they were double charged for the meat. A simple sentence, and the cashier is apologizing profusely for the mix-up and taking down the extra charge. Something in their face makes him think they aren’t sorry at all.

The first tick of irritation forms in the back of Stretch’s mind. Humans think monsters are gullible and take advantage of them as often as possible. It’s irritating and annoying and Stretch doesn’t have the patience his brother does. He can handle about five humans being annoying before he snaps.

The next tick of irritation makes itself known when Stretch and his brother are walking down the street to the next location on the list. A human practically shoves his brother into the street in their rush to get somewhere (probably nowhere important) and he has to hold back the urge to growl and chase after them. A calming pat on the back from Blue calms him down enough to continue forward.

They make it to the human convenience store and Stretch braces himself mentally. He can already smell the disgusting, depressed, angry humans from inside. He’s gonna need a drink after this.

~~~

The last straw is drawn as he steps into Muffet’s. Just as he walks inside, a human bumps him and makes a remark, “Damn monsters and their damn expensive, disgusting food…” they murmur. Something in Stretch snaps and he has to tear himself away from the doorway and into the familiar yet not familiar establishment. His own Muffet set up shop out of town and Stretch doesn’t want to go all the way there for a single bottle of honey.

Classic’s Muffet lets out a cheery greeting when Stretch walks in. Rather than reply, he walks straight to the corner of the room where ingredients are kept. Muffet allows people to buy the ingredients she uses for her confections so Monster Baking can have a name in this stars forsaken city. It’s a nice concept, but hardly anyone acknowledges it.

Stretch gets lost in thought as he stares down at the racks of ingredients before him. Humans are just selfish, entitled creatures. They despise change. They despise Monsters. If they could, they would demolish monsters without a hint of remorse.

The gentle ding of the store’s bell rings and Stretch looks behind him to see a human. Rage boils under his nonexistent skin and he has the urge to reach out and strangle them. It would be so easy. It’s not like he can feel guilty. He can’t even see their face.

The human walks closer, their head tilted in what he can only assume is curiosity. It begins to get a little weird that he can’t see their face. His eyesight isn't that bad… He rubs his eyes and blinks harshly, trying to make out even the slightest feature in their face. Nothing.

The human seems to be thinking the same thing as their hand reaches up and disappears behind a bubble of static. He laughs at that, finding the whole situation ironic. This can’t be right… The universe is playing tricks on him again.

“what’s eating you up, honey? you’re beeing awfully suspicious.” Stretch drawls out, trying to get answers. If they’re seeing the same thing he is, then the universe really is being a bitch today.

The human freezes for a moment, thinking. Then, slowly, deliberately, as if they’re nervous of his reaction, they reply. “You wouldn’t beelieve me even if I told you. I just have this stinging feeling…”

Like a light being switched on in a pitch black room, the world floods with color and sound. Stretch can’t believe it. You… You’re really his soulmate. It feels like the world stopped spinning when the revelation hit him and he could suddenly see your face. The fog surrounding you fell away and in its place were a pair of shining eyes and a pleasant, nervous smile. Before anything else can be said, you reach around him and grab a carton of Sea Cream and bolt towards the cash register. He follows your movements the whole time, completely shell-shocked.

After a moment of intense staring, Stretch snaps up the closest bottle of honey and heads behind you. He needs to get closer. He needs to complete the bond. Something in him, some sort of primal urge, wants to wrap you up and carry you back home and never let you go. The reminder that you are a human is the only thing that stops him. However, the longer you talk casually with Muffet makes him wonder if he’s been wrong about humans all this time.

He takes a step closer, wanting desperately to just touch you. Claim you, maybe. You jolt at his sudden proximity, snatch up your carton of Silk Cream, and inch your way around him. Your actions and facial expressions make him flinch, but he knows you can’t help it. Even so… The urge to follow you out the door never leaves him.

~~~

Four days later, Blue invites him to his island and the urge to find the person from Muffet’s store is finally sedated. He somehow completed the bond… Without ever talking to you again? Glancing back down at the switch's screen, a slight smirk covers his features. He’s found you.


	2. Pa-Pie-Rus (From Papyrus' POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of just realized that you guys don't have the foresight for this story that I do, and I'm kind of regretting it? Like, maybe I should've waited until all of the soulmates stuff was explained before doing this? But at the same time, I really like how this turned out and I want to share it with the world!
> 
> So, I guess I'll explain some stuff that won't be explained for a while in the actual story, just so those curious and brave enough to read this chapter and the future ones aren't completely confused.
> 
> With that said, it's time to explain what happens when Monsters find their soulmates but the bonds aren't complete.
> 
> Soulmate bonds are some of the strongest bonds you can have as a monster or a human. They tie to the core of a being and pull tightly. Sometimes, when a bond isn't completed, the pull is so tight that it can mentally/emotionally/physically harm the people in the incomplete bond. The longer the bond is incomplete, the more focused on instincts and urges the monster becomes. Because your soulmates are boss monsters, they can have an incomplete bond for up to two weeks, but by the end of that time frame, something snaps and they just go absoultely berserk, doing everything in their power to find their mate and keep them to themself.
> 
> I won't actually be writing that sort of thing into my story, but it is a concern for some characters and is brought up a few times. I'm not gonna go into any more detail cuz I don't wanna give anything away.
> 
> Tl;dr, Monsters become savages the longer a soulbond is incomplete.

Papyrus hasn’t been feeling well lately. Ever since meeting ‘Stella’ on Animal Crossing, he’s been more aggressive and his magic has spiked. It feels like… An incomplete bond, his soul tells him. He’s missing his mate. How could he do that without knowing about them? Unless… He has met them? Papyrus’ head swims with thoughts of who they could possibly be. He’s met so many new people lately, but none of them have resonated with him in that way.

A ding from his phone makes his thoughts dull a little. It’s a text from Asgore. He needs to be security detail at Muffet’s new store’s grand opening. Maybe that will help get his mind off the burning pain in his soul.

Papyrus jogs down the mountain and into town, thinking the entire time. His soul is burning and the strain on his Soulmate’s thread is becoming unbearable. If he doesn’t find them soon, the threat of the bond becoming damaged is a very real possibility. He needs to find them. He needs to find you.

Muffet’s new store comes into his line of sight and he pushes thoughts of his soulmate away. He has a job to do.

A crowd begins to form and Papyrus tries his best to keep them calm and orderly. A couple news groups are mixed in there, pushing their way to the front of the crowd to get the best vantage point for their stories. He catches sight of a human decked out in galaxy printed clothes, but they quickly disappear back into the crowd as the ribbon is cut and all of the humans rush forward to get in line for their food.

Surprisingly, the human dressed in galaxy printed clothes is standing in front of him when he gets his own spot in line. He didn’t get a good look at their face when they stepped in front of him, but he has a feeling he wouldn’t like what he would see. He’s proven correct when they turn around, their face covered in some sort of static bubble.

“Um, hey. My name’s Y/n. Sorry if this is weird, but do I know you from somewhere?” They ask, voice sounding like static and grating Papyrus’ mind. Papyrus feels like he would remember meeting someone like this human, with their blurred out face and static voice, so he answers truthfully, if a little stiffly.

“I CAN’T SAY THAT I HAVE MET YOU, HUMAN. IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME…” Papyrus turns away, a small bead of orange sweat dotting his forehead. This human is quite strange. Their features are so fuzzy, it’s almost unnatural. He feels like he knows them from somewhere, yet he knows nothing about them. His soul aches painfully at the thought and he has to count backwards from ten to keep his spiking magic from lashing out. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken this job…

The line goes forward and he watches the human order. They seem familiar with Muffet, so it’s safe to assume they aren’t some sort of monster bigot here to ruin the opening ceremony. He almost leaves his thought process at that, but something about the human draws him in while also pushing him back. Like some sort of strange magnet, the human’s presence is revoltingly alluring.

The human finishes ordering and picks up their food, bouncing on their heels eagerly. They seem excited to dive into their food. The thought makes Papyrus smile, and he steps forward to make his order. “MAY I HAVE A CLEMENTINE CREAM PUFF, MUFFET?” He asks the spider monster, who’s brow furrows slightly.

“I’m sorry to say I just sold the last one. If you’d like, you could ask Y/n for hers. She’s quite generous, you know~” she purrs, gesturing to the human with two of her six hands. Papyrus turns to the human and the name registers somewhere in the back of his mind. Oh yeah. They introduced themself when they first met. He must’ve forgotten.

“OH… THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE. BUT IF THE HUMAN GOT ONE FOR THEMSELF, THEY PROBABLY WANT TO EAT IT. I SHALL SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST.” Papyrus says, then orders a tea and pastry, this time with much less gusto. He doesn’t make it far from the ordering counter before a hand holding the pastry he was hoping to get appears just below his line of sight.

Papyrus stares at the pastry for a second. Something churns in his stomach, then moves up to his soul once he locks eyes with you. That’s right, he locked eyes with you! So that strange fuzziness wasn’t some sort of spell or magic. It was…

The fog that surrounds a soulmate. This human! You! You are his soulmate! Papyrus would have cried at the relief and happiness that flooded his system. He realizes, after a moment, that you are still waiting there, hand outstretched. Your posture is relaxed and everything about you seems smooth and soft.

“ARE YOU OFFERING THAT SWEET TO ME, HUMAN? HOW VERY KIND OF YOU!” Papyrus exclaims, all previous repulsion leaving his stance. You seem surprised by his sudden change of demeanor, which makes sense. He realizes he was quite rude upon your first meeting.

“Yeah. You seemed kind of sad you couldn’t get the pastry you wanted.” Not only are you absolutely gorgeous, you’re generous and thoughtful, too! Papyrus wants to squeal at his good luck, but withholds. Instead, he reaches out and plucks the sweet from your hand. With his other hand, he pats your head, admiring your hair as it frizzes slightly from the static.

“I DON’T THINK I WAS VERY NICE TO YOU WHEN WE FIRST MET. LET ME MAKE IT UP TO YOU.” Papyrus says, his voice taking on a gentler tone. You follow him to a window seat and Papyrus can’t help but think of how much like a date this feels. The sun shining down on your hair and reflecting off your tea sets the right mood and your gorgeous smile is almost too much to handle.

Papyrus delves into your life, starting off with simple getting to know you questions and moving on to where you work, your hobbies and your favorite meals. Seems like he’ll be learning how to make pizza in the near future. Your laugh is like music to his ears and when you ask questions about him like you’re legitimately interested, he can feel a blush crawling up his cheeks.

Your time together has to be cut short because you have other stuff to do. Your phone had gone off quite a few times throughout your conversation, but you’d never picked it up. Instead, you placed your whole focus on him. If that isn’t the most gratifying thing in the world, he doesn’t know what is. Now, though, you have to leave. Every bone in his body wants to escort you home but he has a job to do… 

He walks you to the door and waves you off, ever so tempted to follow you. The sound of a plate smashing and angry shouts stops him. He has a job to do. Even so, he watches your form as it disappears over the horizon just a second longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Maroon Eyes (From ~~~ POV)
> 
> Ha, I can't tell you who the next person you're gonna meet on this wild journey is. That's just unfair to the people who are only reading the main story! That being said, I'm really happy with the way this story is turning out and I'm excited for next week!


	3. Maroon eyes (from Red’s POV)

Red watches as Papyrus rushes out of the house. He watches as a star-struck Sans waltzes out of the kitchen, a dried flower clutched tightly in his hands. He watches as Stretch settles down, bottle of honey in his hands and cigar in his teeth. He looks out the window, an increasingly aggravated Blue doing everything in his power to let out the excess magic building up in his body. Yeah, that’s what’s going through the air right now. Extra magic. SOUL magic. They’re looking for them. Their soulmate.

To be completely honest, Red is searching, too. It’s been, what, three? Four days now? He can definitely feel the pull. Like a string is wrapped around his sternum. But instead of a straight line, the string is split up and shooting in every direction, fogging up his senses and preventing any sort of tracking. He supposes that’s what it’s like for his and his brother’s doubles. All except the smiling trash bag and ashtray.

It took a while to realize their bonds were complete. One day, Stretch was aggravated and about to teleport out of his room to track someone down, the next he was happily playing animal crossing while scrawled out on the couch. Red watched the entire day as Stretch’s extra magic died down and Blue’s continued to spike. The contrast in their demeanors were obvious. One had a complete bond, the other didn’t.

As for ‘Classic’, he was the one that started the whole thing. He barely had enough time to start frowning before his bond was complete, leaving the whole lodge confused. How could one complete a bond without ever talking to a new person? The answer was wrapped up in a neat little box. A little box with walking talking animals displayed on it.

Of course, once Red realized what the trigger was, he hopped on the wagon as quickly as possible. He’d meet his soulmate, he’d woo them, then he’d set up a date where they could meet and get to know eachother better. Maybe get to know eachother under the covers, too.

His plans were dashed by his aloof, patient soulmate. He could feel the trigger as soon as he arrived on Stretch’s island, his mate’s soul immediately latching onto his. However, the bond was incomplete, which was inconvenient at best, even if it was his own fault. It was his soul that refused to connect. Even so, he needed to take out his aggression somewhere. Who better than the galaxy printed reason for his stress?

He spent hours chasing them around the island, chasing away bugs and catching the fish they were going for. Even so, they managed to get some good catches and left with a huge stack of bells.

It’s a few days later now, tensions are rising in the house. He’s about ready to trap Classic until he spills the beans about who their soulmate is. In fact… 

“hey vanilla, who’s the lucky mate?” Red asks, catching the attention of all of the skeletons in the room. Classic raises his head, but his eyelights never leave the flower in his hands. Red wonders briefly what would happen if the flower suddenly turned to dust. By the look on Classic’s face, he would meet the same fate as the flower.

“what’re you talkin’ about, red?” Classic asks, playing the aloof card. Blue steps in from the front yard, cyan beads of sweat clinging to his skull. It seems his other senses are heightened, too, as his gaze is locked with Classics. Blue and Red aren’t leaving without answers, that much is clear.

“you guys should be able to find your own mate. relying on others is not the way to go about it.” Classic says, trying to pull at Blue’s strings. The magic riddled monster looks guilty for only a moment before the resolve on his face comes back.

“IF WE WAIT MUCH LONGER, THE BONDS HAVE A CHANCE AT BEING DAMAGED. WE COULD END UP HURTING OUR HOUSEMATES, RANDOM HUMANS IN THE STREETS, OR EVEN OUR OWN SOULMATE. IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT?” Blue asks, pleading his own case. From the look on Classic’s face, Blue is winning this argument.

“look, blue, the only thing i really know about them is that they work on campus with me and they like muffet’s food for breakfast. If you can find them based on that information, good on you.” Classic says. Blue doesn’t look pleased with the lack of information, but backs off. It’s clear to everyone in the room that the smiling trash bag is withholding information. 

“c’mon, baby blue. We can go look for our mate together.” Red says, then hops off the couch. On his way past Classic, he winds back his leg and lands a solid kick to the heavyset skeleton. Blue follows Red out the door and the two hop into their rides.

“DO YOU REALLY THINK WE’LL BE ABLE TO FIND OUR MATE TODAY?” Blue asks as he straps his protective gear to his body. Red settles atop his moped and shrugs at the slightly smaller skeleton beside him.

“dunno. tell ya what, though. if i find them before you do, i’ll tell you right away.” Red tells his double, who’s eyelights brighten and turn into stars. Red watches for a moment longer as Blue’s eyelights flare the slightest bit brighter and the skeleton has to form some magic bones to prevent the magic from overflowing.

“I’LL DO THE SAME FOR YOU, RED.” Blue promises, then sets off down the road.

~~~

It’s fairly early in the morning so the first place the skeletons stop at is Muffet’s shop. Surprisingly, Blue’s Muffet is manning the shop, leaving the two confused. Isn’t Classic’s Muffet the one that runs this shop?

“...” 

“SHE SAYS ‘THE EXPENSIVE ME IS AT HER NEW SHOPS OPENING’.” Blue translates the silent monsters non-speech.

“isn’t that where the creampuff was going this morning?” Red asks. The two monsters share a look at the thought of approaching Papyrus. He’s had an incomplete bond for a whole day longer than Blue. That… Is not good for one’s mental health. They decide to take a detour and check out Classic’s workplace.

~~~

Red and Blue are sitting on a bench in the park, eating nice cream, when a cheery tune sounds from Blue’s phone. “PAPYRUS?” Blue asks into the receiver. The creampuff’s voice rings out clearly through the speaker, allowing Red to listen in.

“BLUE! YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHO I MET TODAY!” Papyrus cheers. The two short skeletons share a look but don’t say anything as Papyrus continues. “MY SOULMATE! THEY WERE QUITE NICE AND EVEN GAVE ME A CREAM PUFF.”

Red huffs at the information. Even the Creampuff is meeting his soulmate. Blue’s grip on his phone tightens at the information, but he makes an effort to keep his cool as he prattles on with his friend.

“THAT’S GREAT PAPYRUS! DO TELL, WHERE DID THEY SAY THEY WERE HEADED?” Blue asks, his fake cheer leaking into his tone. Red almost laughs at the contrast between Blue’s expression and his voice.

“THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING HOME. THOUGH, THEY WERE WALKING SO I’M A LITTLE WORRIED FOR THEIR WELL-BEING. OF COURSE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS’ SOULMATE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE ANY OBSTACLE IN THEIR WAY! I JUST- I Would Like To Make Sure They Make It Home Safely.” Papyrus mumbles. Blue brightens up at Papyrus’ words and a devious smirk crosses his features.

“I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TRACK THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY MAKE IT HOME SAFELY!” He shouts into the receiver. Red gets the feeling that if he weren't high off of excess magic, those words never would’ve left the small skeletons mouth.  
“ER… SURE, BLUE. I WON’T STOP YOU. THEY WERE HEADED TOWARDS X STREET LAST I SAW THEM.” Papyrus says, if somewhat hesitantly. This is his soulmate he’s talking about, after all. As much as he trusts his brother and all of his doubles, they can be undeniably volatile if their magic levels are left unchecked.

“ALRIGHT! BYE, PAPYRUS! I’LL SEE YOU WHEN I GET HOME.” Blue rushes out, then hangs up his phone. Blue sends a manic look Reds way, magic spiking and filling the air with the smell of rain. Red gets the feeling Blue’s reaching the end of his sanity for the day. Time to head out.

“well, i’m going to grillby’s. want anything, baby blue?” Red asks, desperately wanting to get away from the increasingly unhinged skeleton in front of him. Blue blinks and for a moment Red swears his eyelights go out. In the next moment, they’re back, glowing brighter than ever. Red is very, very unnerved.

“NO, THANK YOU, RED. I’LL SEE YOU AT THE LODGE.” Blue says, then takes off full sprint towards X Street. Red really needs a drink.

~~~

Red really isn’t expecting anything out of his visit to Classic’s Grillby’s. Maybe a few drinks, some good company and well-cooked food. Nowhere on that list does ‘soulmate’ come to mind. But there they are, face blotted out and voice warbled; laughing at their friends antics and helping to keep them steady in their barstool.

He watches for a while, not quite believing his eyes as the bubble over their face prevents his every attempt to make out their features. He’s suddenly so glad that he challenged Dogamy to a drinking competition all those years back; the poor sap was always spouting about his soulmate and how they met. Not being able to see Dogaressa’s face all of a sudden was one of the things he would not shut up about. The information enters the forefront of his mind and he’s suddenly so sure that the person reaching for their friends phone is his soulmate.

Without really thinking about it, Red slides into the now-empty bar stool, attempting to get the Human’s attention. They don’t react other than to burrow further into their seat. They seem quite intent on ignoring him. Red growls a bit at their reaction. Guess he’ll have to up his game.

Red, not really knowing what else to do, slides his arm around the humans shoulder. They flinch a bit and glance up from the phone in front of them. Even though he can’t see their face, their actions say it all when they slowly turn forty-five degrees, reach up, pluck his arm off of their shoulder, and toss it back at him.

“hey now, sweetheart. that’s just rude.” Red says, then immediately cringes at his words. Damn, for those to be the first words he’s said to his soulmate- they must think he’s a douche.

To his immense surprise, the human speaks up. “So is touching somebody without their permission”

Now, Red’s not one for sappy words and such. He likes to get down to the point. But hot damn, you’re voice is so smooth and rich, like melted chocolate. And your eyes, how they sparkle with challenge- wait. Your eyes. Your whole face, in fact, is very visible. Your cute little nose is scrunched up in annoyance and the corners of your eyes hide the smallest bit of mirth behind them. Was that really all it took for him to be able to see you? Just a simple phrase and his whole world is so much brighter. Red chuckles at the thought.

Before Red can say anything, do anything, you’re turning away. Your eyes lock with the bar counter in front of you and you fidget with your hands. Even though your blushing face is super cute, Red wants your attention on him, not some plank of wood. He takes a moment to compose himself before attempting to start a conversation, picking the first pickup line that comes to mind.

“what’s a nice person like you doin’ in a dirty mind like mine?” He asks, and immediately wants to face palm. If the first thing he said to you wasn’t enough to drive you away, that line certainly was. You surprise him yet again with your answer.

“Fitting right in.” You mumble, rich voice rumbling through his bones and warming him right down to his soul. He can feel his magic flare from within him, threatening to make itself known, when he catches sight of your friend stumbling out of the bathroom, wiping her mouth and glaring at his skull. Oh geez. He thinks he remembers that girl.

Before Red can do anything to prevent it, your friend rushes to your side, drawling out a quick excuse to get the two of you out of there. Red’s almost offended by her use of a pet name towards you, but he knows better than to act out on his emotions. Besides, he’s seen the girl stumble in here with a nervous fish before. They get along like a house on fire. There’s no doubt your friend is already in a relationship.

Red watches you drag your friend out of the door and down the street. For a while, he’s content. Then, a ring sounds from his phone. It’s a text from Blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is Red so hard to write? I had to redo this chapter a bunch on times and even now I'm not completely satisfied. Anyway, this chapter is kind of just a reminder that not all things are fine and dandy in skeleton town.
> 
> Also, I'm going to post a couple room designs for the Lodge on my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/punnypearlpeppermint) later today, so be on the lookout for that!


	4. Breakfast Buds (From Blue's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blue finally gets his turn.

Blue is not happy. He hasn’t been happy in more than a week now. Of course, the first day he was super excited! His soulmate! The person made especially for him! The person who would see him through the worst and best of times was out there, playing animal crossing, taking their sweet little time in meeting him so he could complete the bond.

He shot an increasingly powerful attack at the unsuspecting training dummy across from him. His unresolved bond was tearing him apart from the inside out… Blue growls and stamps his feet, the action sending small tremors through the ground. Stretch, who is lounging on a hammock in a nearby tree, peeks up at his brother. It’s incredibly early in the morning, but Blue couldn’t get back to sleep for the life of him.

“we could always go out and look for them, if you want. they like muffet’s for breakfast so if we hurry we could maybe catch them?” Stretch offers to his distraught brother. Blue lets out a low growl at the thought of another person helping him look for his mate. Because it turned out so well last time he had help.

“I’VE BEEN THINKING OF JUST STAKING OUT HER SHOP UNTIL THEY SHOW UP. HOWEVER, MUFFET JUST HAD TO ADD IN A SECOND LOCATION TO MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT.” Blue shouts, voice booming through the forest, sending birds and other wild animals scurrying. He can hold in his magic while in public, but now that he’s in the safety of the forest… He just doesn’t see a reason to hold back.

Stretch flinches at his brother’s volume. It’s been nearly two weeks since his brother met you on Animal Crossing and that’s just a bit too close to the limits of an incomplete bond for comfort. He wants to help his brother, he really does, but he’s not sure what he can do. It’s not like he can just track you down through your bond- Oh stars. He’s really stupid.

“hey bro? i got an idea but you gotta promise not to get mad at me for not realizing this sooner.” Stretch tentatively offers. He’s pretty sure his brother would never seriously harm him, but with the excess magic coursing through his soul, you never know.

“I’M UP FOR ANYTHING AT THIS POINT. AND I PROMISE NOT TO GET MAD.” Blue promises. He’s honestly desperate for anything to soothe his aching soul at this point. He’d even considered going to Rus for magic repressing drugs at one point, but immediately shook the thought away. He wouldn’t stoop that low… Yet.

“well, i was just thinkin’... y’know how completed bondmates can technically sense when the other is nearby? we could just go out to town and see if i sense them anywhere.” Stretch offers and watches as his brother’s eyelights form into four-pronged stars for a moment before returning to circles. A sharp, unsettling grin crosses Blue’s face and Stretch has to remind himself that this is his brother he’s looking at, not some random lunatic off the streets. That doesn’t stop him from sending out a silent prayer to any god out there that this plan works and his brother can complete his bond.

And so the two of them are off, Blue flying down the mountain at record speeds, occasionally sending bones flying or seeing how many blasters he can summon at once. The limit appears to be ten large ones and seven small ones before a single bead of sweat rolls down his cranium. Stretch doesn’t even bother to follow his brother, opting to instead teleport to the base of the mountain and await his brother there. He’s pretty sure the only reason Blue isn’t taking a shortcut is because it wouldn’t use up as much magic as all of the physical activity he’s performing is doing.

By the time Blue escapes the forest (a usually two-hour hike turned twenty minutes), he’s burned off enough magic to calm down and fix his mussed up clothing. The skeleton brothers head into the city and look around, each with the same goal in mind. Find their mate.

It doesn’t take too long to get to Muffet’s second location; nestled just a block away from the university. Stretch isn’t expecting anything when they near the store, but to his immense surprise, there is a slight tugging in his soul. Stretch turns to tell his brother the good news, but the look on Blue’s face stops him.

Blue looks… On-edge. The few humans that are out this early in the morning are giving him a large berth and it’s obvious it’s not just because he’s a monster. If you see Blue like this… How will you react? He’s never seen a soul combined with patience and kindness like yours is, but he can’t be sure you’ll stay and approach his brother if he’s looking like a loon. Stretch decides to divert his brother's attention to get his face at least a bit more relaxed.

“why are skeletons so calm?” Stretch asks and his brother gives him That Look. Stretch continues with his joke anyway, casually leading his brother closer to Muffet’s shop.

“nothing gets under their skin.” Stretch finishes his joke and gets an indignant huff from his brother. He notices the light in his sockets dimming a bit, though, so that’s a good sign.

“who won the skeleton beauty contest?” Blue gives him a curious look, mostly because Stretch has never used this joke before. “no body.”

Blue lets out a loud groan, his voice still reverberating with excess magic, but at least it’s not gonna burst someone’s eardrums if they hear it.

“what do you call a skeleton who hasn’t met their soulmate?” Stretch asks as the two brothers enter the shop. He glances around and there you are, sitting peacefully in front of a window seat, sipping at the cup in your hand and making direct eye contact with him.

“BONELY. YOU CALL HIM BONELY, BROTHER.” Blue finishes the joke impatiently. Stretch glances back down t his brother and is relieved to see that his magic is back to it’s usual rate and his voice isn’t sending tremors through the ground. Say what you will, puns clearly save lives.

“oh hey, it’s the silk cream girl.” Stretch pipes up, completely ignoring the appalled look his brother is giving him. Blue looks at where his brother is looking and finds a human, their face completely blotted out by a bubble. Blue squints for a while, trying to figure out just what he’s looking at. His brother holds a short conversation with the human before they turn their body towards him in greeting.

“Do I have something on my face? I was helping my friend pipe decorations on her cake earlier. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got some cream on my outfit or elsewhere.”

Blue takes a closer look at the humans face, realizing he can now see it. He can also see the slight pout to your lips, the smooth curve of your cheeks, your droopy eyes which look like they want to fall shut into a peaceful slumber. Blue stares for what feels like hours, drinking in your appearance like he’s been walking through a desert and he’s finally found an oasis.

“NO, YOU ARE PERFECT.” Blue blurts out and watches as your eyes sparkle with amusement and perhaps a bit of embarrassment. Blue takes a moment to think over his words before a blush crosses his features and he rushes to fix his mistake. Compliments are date things! Not first meeting things!

“I- I MEAN! UM! YOU’RE PERFECTLY CLEAN! NO CREAM ANYWHERE!” Your giggle sounds like music to his ears. He could listen to you all day. He refrains from saying such words, not wanting to scare you off. Although, with so much Patience and Kindness coursing through your soul, it’s completely possible you’d wait for an explanation before running away.

“Ah, thanks. Can’t be going to work looking like a mess.Um… Do you guys want anything? Muffet’s giving you that look.” You mention, gesturing your hand towards the spider monster that Blue can feel giving him a predatory stare. Even with the feeling burning into the back of his skull, he can only focus on you.

“yea, my bro and i are just here for some breakfast. otherwise, he might have an eggsistential crisis.”

“PAPY! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS!” Blue shouts towards his brother, but his focus is still on you. You chuckle at their antics for a moment before seeming to come to a decision.

“So, what are your names?” You ask and Blue feels like he’s finally getting somewhere with you. Not even Stretch knew your name and he had almost a whole week to get to find you and know you. Perhaps that’s why he introduces himself first, before his brother.

You smile at the two of them before making a polite exit, scooting around them to get to the door. Blue clutches at his ribs, right above where his soul is beating heavily. You’re so much better than he thought you’d be. So nice and polite and… Everything he could’ve ever hoped for.

He and Stretch step up to the counter to order their food. As Muffet passes them their meals and hot drinks she gives the two a knowing smirk and purrs something under her breath “Ahuhu, what do you call a skeleton who’s found their soulmate?”

“a marrowly escaped catastrophe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda rushed this one cuz I'm gonna be spending the next week with my sister and I'm not sure if i'll be able to post it on the regularly scheduled date. Anywho~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! If you wanna ask any questions or have any suggestions for future chapters my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/punnypearlpeppermint) is here. Feel free to reach out at any time!


	5. Give you an edge (From Edge’s POV)

Edge isn’t oblivious to the going ons in the Lodge. He simply prefers to avoid the conflicts the others are experiencing. So, when he first heard of Classic finding his soulmate, of course he tried to stay away from the whole mess. But then Papyrus and Blue started lashing out and it became too dangerous to spar with them; then his brother started his own bond and Edge was left all alone. It was boring to say the least, being left out of the loop. He even contemplated interrupting one of the others’ hang-outs with the mysterious person behind the screen, but his pride got the better of him and he decided he would wait for the human to come to him.

It was only a few days after his brother finally completed his bond that he finally lost his patience and decided to go out looking for them. How dare they take away his time with his brother and acquaintances! How dare they not even attempt to contact him, even once! His soulmate was clearly very selfish.

Edge stormed out of the house, and stalked towards the parking lot. Before he could even get there, he was stopped by his too-happy look alike.

“EDGE! THERE’S SUPPOSED TO BE A GATHERING AT THE END OF THE WEEK. BE SURE TO BE READY FOR IT!” The creampuff tells him, a wide smirk gracing his features. Edge’s only reply is a scoff. He already knew about the anniversary party that would be happening this weekend. He had his suit picked out and everything. Still, he can’t shake the feeling that everything that has happened up until now has been leading up to this weekend. Something big is going to happen. He just doesn’t know what.

There are many things that can happen in a single day. In a single moment, in fact. It only takes a few seconds to be killed, if the murderer is doing his job correctly. Edge knows all too well how short life can be and how much it should be cherished. So when he hears of his brother wasting his life away in cheap drinks and greasy food, Edge can’t help but get angry.

The text came quite late at night; a simple explanation that his brother had passed out and his friend wanted to know if Edge could pick him up. Of course he would pick his brother up from his bad decisions. That didn’t mean he would be happy about it. In fact, the entire ride to the grease trap that is Grillby’s, Edge was fuming.

He stormed right into the building, head held high and mouth quirked in a smirk. It only took a moment to locate his brother, nestled close to a human who was turned towards him. He couldn’t see their face, which was strange, but Edge was too annoyed to contemplate it.

“HUMAN. YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CONTACTED ME, YES?” Edge questions the human, who looks like they’re trying to find a way out of the room. After a moment, they nod their head and Edge scoffs at their behaviour. They could at least have the decency to talk! Rather than waste his time scolding the human, Edge picks his brother up and is about to leave when a small hand grips his free arm.

Edge turns back and meets your pleading gaze as you stutter out a question and glance at the drunk beside you. Edge is too busy looking at your glimmering eyes, droopy with sleepiness. There’s another distraction in your clothing, which cling to your frame in an enticing way. Edge has to drag his gaze away from your eyes to the drunk guy beside you and he finally seems to understand what you’re asking for. You want him… To protect you from this guy. Edge almost preens at the thought.

“YOU THERE, SCUM. LEAVE THIS LADY ALONE UNLESS YOU WANT SOMETHING OTHER THAN CHEAP ALCOHOL GOING DOWN YOUR THROAT.” Edge barks out at the human, who stumbles and falls to the ground. The grateful look you give him for his efforts is the only thanks he really needs, but when you offer to pay him back, he can’t resist the chance to get a leg-up on his competition. After all, no one else has gotten the opportunity to brag about getting their soulmates number.

You pass him your phone and fidget with your hands while you wait for him to enter his number. He notices your screen saver is a picture of flowers overflowing from a familiar looking lantern, but he can’t quite remember where he’s seen the item before. You begin to fidget a bit more and he decides that he’s probably had your phone a bit too long.

You hastily thank Edge for his help and pocket your phone, then wave him away as he exits the bar. Edge can’t help but feel accomplished as he throws his brother into the passenger side of his convertible, then takes off, back to the lodge. Blue shoots him and his brother a glare as he stomps up the staircase. Edge deems not to address him.

Edge wakes up the next day, aggravated. He can already feel the excess magic welling up in his soul and it’s clear from the look his brother is giving him that it’s going to be a long day. However, when Red invites Edge to his island his world gets turned upside down yet again. Especially when a certain islander comes over for a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, wow, I did not expect this chapter to come out as short as it did. oh well. Next time it'll be longer. 'till next time!
> 
> Also, if you have and questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me on my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/punnypearlpeppermint)!

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter: Pa-Pie-Rus (From Papyrus' POV)


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